School profile

Outwood Academy Shafton

Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Barnsley, S72 8RE

Good

Map showing Outwood Academy Shafton

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,135 of 3,312

Worse than 64% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Outwood Academy Shafton Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 7 May 2025

Area360 rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages11 to 16
Pupils1,377
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherPrincipal Alison McQueen
TrustOUTWOOD GRANGE ACADEMIES TRUST
Local authorityBarnsley
Opened01 Mar 2015
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 139211.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolBarnsleyEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.43.3, worse than England, similar to Barnsley43.146.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.64%, similar to England, similar to Barnsley63.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.41.8%, worse than England, worse than Barnsley45.7%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.9.2%, worse than England, worse than Barnsley11.8%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths57.5%, similar to England, similar to Barnsley58.1%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4261--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,377
Girls700
Boys677
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.38.3%
First language not English4.8%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,468
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.6.2%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.101
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.63
Average class size23.9

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
91.9%
Other White
3.3%
African
0.9%
Other mixed
0.6%
Indian
0.5%
Other Asian
0.5%
White and Black African
0.4%
White and Asian
0.4%
Chinese
0.4%
Irish
0.1%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher19
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.13
Teachers (FTE)72.6
Teaching assistants (FTE)23.9
Support staff (FTE)49.13
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2574
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2562.4
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/254.8
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/256.8

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.261
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.364
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.281
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.258
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)5

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolBarnsleyEngland
Overall absence12.3%, worse than England-8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.32.1%, worse than England-21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.8.2%, worse than England-3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate40.7%
Pupils with one or more suspensions11.4%
Permanent exclusion rate0.4%
Permanent exclusions5

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.87.3%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.82.2%
Further education78%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.8.9%
Sixth form college3.5%
Employment3.1%
Apprenticeship1.9%
School sixth form0.4%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Outwood Academy Shafton
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryLift ShaftonAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.5 miPrimaryCherry Dale Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.8 miPrimaryChurchfield Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.9 miPrimaryMilefield Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.2 miPrimaryBrierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good
1.3 miPrimaryBirkwood Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.6 miPrimaryLadywood Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.7 miPrimarySouth Hiendley Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.8 miPrimaryCarlton Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.8 miSecondaryOutwood Academy CarltonAcademy sponsor led
Good

Frequently asked questions about Outwood Academy Shafton

What is Outwood Academy Shafton's Ofsted rating?

Outwood Academy Shafton is rated Good, last inspected on 7 May 2025. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Outwood Academy Shafton rank in England?

Outwood Academy Shafton ranks 2,135 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 64% of schools).

What are Outwood Academy Shafton's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 41.8% of pupils at Outwood Academy Shafton got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 43.3 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Outwood Academy Shafton?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Outwood Academy Shafton made 261 offers from 364 applications (1.4 per offer), and 258 of 281 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Outwood Academy Shafton?

Outwood Academy Shafton has 1,377 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Outwood Academy Shafton?

Outwood Academy Shafton had 1,468 school places in 2024/25.

Does Outwood Academy Shafton have a sixth form?

No, Outwood Academy Shafton teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Outwood Academy Shafton?

At Outwood Academy Shafton, the average class had 23.9 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 19 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Outwood Academy Shafton?

In 2025/26, pupils at Outwood Academy Shafton missed 12.3% of sessions (England 8%), and 32.1% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.